why cant i install OS after new hard drive

I just installed a new hard drive in my dad's gateway laptop. When I try to install XP it starts loading drivers and files and after a few minutes it goes to a blue screen and says that a problem with windows has been detected and it shut down the install. What is going on?

I'd start with some other OS. Get a linux live install and see if it will load. Mint or Fedora or Ubuntu are pretty easy.

If it loads and you can install linux then it may be one of two things. One is you have a OEM disk and somehow it may need some driver that isn't on a Retail disk. Otherwise some oddity with the drive. Maybe have to remove jumper or go to cable select or set to different mode or something. Might even be power supply related to new drive. Might be some hardware got bumped or loose or damaged in install.

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